Bohemian Books

Olympia Press 1956 edition. Miller’s racy novel about bohemians in Paris and was illustrated by photographs from Brassaď.

The term Bohemian is somewhat vague and often misused. It refers to living an alternative lifestyle that is usually artistic. Writers, musicians, actors and artists have traditionally made up this untraditional group. Numerous Bohemian communities have existed around the world and attracted creative types looking to devote time to their passion rather than the 9-to-5 lifestyle of average Joes.

New York’s Greenwich Village, London’s Soho and Chelsea, and Paris’ Montmartre and Montparnasse are just some of the famous ‘Boho’ districts. There have been periods of time when it was possible to visit Greenwich or Soho and see budding writers scribbling in every cafe. An anthropologist would describe Bohemianism as a subculture.

The list of so-called Bohemian writers is lengthy – Oscar Wilde, Henry Miller, Robert Service etc – but the subject of the Bohemian lifestyle has been extensively written about in both fact and fiction. Lots of readers are interested in Bohemianism but don’t necessarily want to be Bohemians.

There have been many novels where people have moved to Bohemian communities, endured culture shock and succeeded or failed, and many more featuring a Bohemian-style romance as free love and sexual experimentation have always been important aspects.

This selection of books contains Bohemian-themed plots, books written by uber-Bohemians like Miller and non-fiction about the lifestyle itself. Many of our choices are vintage editions and we have not strayed into the Beat Generation or the Counterculture writing of the 1960s even though both of these subgenres are linked to Bohemianism.